The Urban Voodoo Machine @ Glasgow – live review

After all these years and hundreds of gigs, it’s rare for a band to shake me quite the way The Urban Voodoo Machine did last night.

The London-based nine-piece inhabit a weird, surreal Noo Orleans world where the ghosts of Dr.John, John Lee Hooker and vaudeville orchestras do battle with stomping rockabilly-style swamprock.

Unashamedly theatrical and sheer good fun, The UVM throw themselves around the cramped ABC stage with wild abandon. Lead singer and mainman Paul -Ronney Angel careers amongst the other musicians howling his blues-infused juke joint vocals as a fusillade of mayhem unfolds around him.

This is a band that has a virtually indescribable sound. Think spaghetti western meets The Clash at the wildest funeral you’ve ever been at and you’re still not that close.

Heroin Put My Brothers In The Ground from current album In Black And Red has the crowd call-andÃÂ response going straight away. It sounds like an Elmore Leonard novel gate-crashing the most riotousÃÂ party in town.

Cheers For The Tears continues the high energy assault with The Rev. Gavin’s solid double basskeeping the band grounded. Angel leads his colleagues into a bit of Gary Glitter’s Rock And Roll Pt1 before it dissolves into a Ramones singalong at the end.

The sheer physical energy that The UVM put into a performance is staggering. The band leave the stage literally sweat soaked.

It’s a pity that they didn’t have a bigger crowd tonight as this was without doubt my gig of the year so far. The people that were there, however, witnessed a truly remarkable show.ÃÂ With another album out next year, The UVM deserve to be playing to huge crowds. If tonight isanything to go by, it won’t be long.

Do yourself a favour. Get along to the Gypsy Hotel. It’s a crazy place.